Spool handling apparatus



April 28, 1964 LANE I 3,130,937

SPOOL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed July 24, 1961 g; WK \x; Y

United States Patent 3,136,937 SPOOL HANDLING APPARATUS Homer P. Lane,Indianapolis, Ind, assignor to Western Eiectrie Company, Ineorporated, acorporation of New York Filed July 24, 1961, Ser. No. 126,030 5 Claims.(Cl. 24212).7)

This invention relates to apparatus for handling spools, and moreparticularly to apparatus for positioning and releasably holding aplurality of spools in axial alignment and in axially spacedrelationship to facilitate simultaneous rotation of the spools for thewinding of material thereon. It is an object of the invention to provideimproved apparatus of such character.

Conventionally, mass winding of wire coils is accomplished throughsimultaneous winding of a plurality of wires on a common mandrel orspool, following which the spool is severed between coils such that thecoils are separated. While this method has the advantage of employingthe simplest possible form of spool and of requiring the simplestpossible manipulation of wire and insulating sheets, it has thedisadvantage that the resulting coils are not as mechanically stable asa coil which has been wound on a headed spool. A major factor dictatingagainst the use of headed spools for coils is the high cost which hasattended the individual handling of the headed spools in preparation forthe winding operation.

It is another object of the invention to provide apparatus forfacilitating the arrangement of individual headed spools for the windingof material thereon.

It is still another object of the invention to provide improvedapparatus for facilitating the positioning and for releasably holding aplurality of spools in axial alignment and in axially spacedrelationship to facilitate simultaneous rotation of the spools for thewinding of material thereon.

In accordance With the present invention, a spindle is provided having ahousing of generally rectangular cross section for receiving the spoolsthereon. A rod is arranged within an axial passage in the housing and isrotatable therein. Pins extend radially from the rod and throughcircumferentially extending slots in the spindle housing. The pins areof such length that when the rod is rotated to orient the pins parallelto one surface of the spindle housing, the pins extend substantiallybeyond the outer surface of the housing such that they limit axialmovement of the spools on the housing and space the spools axiallyapart. However, when the rod is rotated to orient the pins along adiagonal of the rectangular cross section of the spindle housing, thepins are substantially retracted within the housing such that spools maybe moved onto or off the spindle housing. Preferably, the pins arearranged in radially opposed pairs, that is in pairs of which the twopins extend in radially opposite directions. This provides for two pinsto be arranged between the heads of adjacent spool heads. Also, the pinsare preferably in the form of hooks in order to facilitate control offilamentary material such as a wire which is to be wound on the spools.Still further, a rack is preferably provided having parallel slots forreceiving portions of the spool heads with the spools arranged in axialalignment and in axially spaced relationship. This rack facilitates theoriginal arranging of the spools in the desired relative orientation andpositions, whereby the spindle may readily be inserted into the cores ofthe spools with its pins retracted, and the pins may readily be extendedinto the space between the spools in the rack.

This invention, together with further objects and ad- 3,13%337 PatentedApr. 28, 1964 ice vantages thereof, will best be understood by referenceto the following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a spindleillustrating one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the spindle of FIGS. 1 and 2with spools arranged thereon;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a rack for facilitating proper positioning andorienting of spools, a number of spools being shown in proper positionin the rack; and

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional View taken along the line 55 of FIG.4.

The spindle shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 includes a spindle housing 11which is of generally rectangular cross section. A cylindrical bore 12extends substantially through the length of the spindle housing andopens through at least one end thereof. Arranged with the bore 12 androtatable with respect to the housing 11 is a rod 13. One end of the rodextends beyond the end of the housing as seen in FIG. 1.

A plurality of pins 15 are threadedly received in the rod 13 and extendradially therefrom. Preferably, these pins are arranged in radiallyopposed pairs, that is, in pairs of which the two pins extend inradially opposite directions as is clearly shown in FIG. 2. Slots 16 areprovided in the spindle housing 11 to accommodate the pins 15. Theseslots are of such width as to receive the pins freely. Each slot alsoextends circumferentially through an arc of such magnitude that the rod13 may be rotated through such an angle that the pins are moved from aposition in which they are parallel to the narrow sides of the housing(the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 2) to a position in whichthey extend along a diagonal of the rectangular cross section of thehousing (the position shown in phantom lines in FIG. 2).

Upon reference to FIG. 2, it may be noted that the pins 15 are of suchlength that when they are in their phantom line positions they areretracted within the spindle housing, and when they are in their solidline positions they extend substantially beyond the outer surface of thespindle housing. In the latter positions the pins may engage and limitaxial movement of spools which are arranged on the spindle housing. Theyalso may serve to space such spools axially apart, all as bestillustrated in FIG. 3.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the pins 15 are in theform of hooks. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, thesehooks may be used to advantage in the handling of the Wire or otherfilamentary material which is to be wound on the spools. Moreparticularly, the wires extending from the supply to a group of woundspools, still supported on one spindle, may be caught on the hooks 15 ofa spindle which supports empty spools, whereby the wires may be properlypositioned for the initiation of winding onto the fresh spools.Following this operation, the wires may be cut at any suitable pointsbetween the wound spools and the fresh spools. For this purpose, it maybe preferred that the pins, or hooks 15, extend radially beyond theheads of the spools.

In order to facilitate the arrangement of the spools on the spindle, thespools may first be arranged in the rack 20 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Thisrack has parallel slots 21 which are of such length and are so spacedapart that adjacent ones may receive portions of the two heads of aspool. The slots are of such width that each may receive portions of onehead of each of two spools with the spools axially spaced apart.

It will be apparent that a plurality of spools may quickly be broughtinto the desired position and orientation wherein they are axiallyaligned and axially spaced through use of the rack 20. With a pluralityof spools thus oriented and positioned, the spindle may be inserted intothe cores of the spools with the pins 15 in their retracted positions.With the spindle fully inserted, the exposed end of the rod 13 may berotated through a small angle to bring the pins 15 to their extendedpositions, this being permitted by the fact that the spools are held inproperly spaced positions by the rack 28. The spindle with theassociated spools may then be removed from the rack and placed in aspool winding machine.

When it is subsequently desired to remove the spools from the spindle,it is necessary only to rotate the exposed end of the rod 13 such thatthe pins 15 are moved to their retracted positions. The spools may thenreadily be slid off the spindle.

It will be noted that the spools which are illustrated in the drawingshave cores which are rectangular both with respect to the boretherethrough and the exterior winding surface. It will be appreciatedthat a rectangular configuration of the core is desired in the presentapplication only for the purpose of preventing relative rotation of thespindle and the spools. The spools may, if desired, have a circular,exterior or winding surface. Still further, the interior bore of thespools may be substantially circular and provided with protrusions orrecesses which define a rectangle such that the spools are nonrotatablewith respect to the spindle. Where a rectangular cored spool is referredto herein it is intended that the phrase be interpreted broadly to referto any spool which is made non-rotatable with respect to a spindle ofgenerally rectangular cross section through provision of bore-definingportions which cooperate suitably for this purpose with the spindle.

It Will now be seen that new and improved apparatus has been illustratedand described for facilitating the handling of individual spools, and inparticular for positioning and for releasably holding a plurality ofspools in axial alignment and in axially spaced relationship tofacilitate simultaneous rotation of the spools for the winding ofmaterial thereon. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, theillustrated and described apparatus is simple in construction andreliable and efiicient in operation.

While a single embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, manymodifications will be apparent, and it is intended that the invention beinterpreted as including all modifications which fall within the truespirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A spindle for releasably holding a plurality of spools in axialalignment and in axially spaced relationship and for facilitatingsimultaneous rotation of the spools for winding of material thereon,said spindle comprising an elongated housing of generally rectangularcross section for receiving the spools thereon, said housing having apassage therein extending longitudinally thereof, a rod arranged withinsaid passage and rotatable with respect to said housing, a plurality ofcircumferentially extending slots in said housing opening into saidpassage and through the outer surface of the housing, and a plurality ofpins rigidly secured to and extending radially from said rod within saidslots, said pins being of such length that they extend substantiallybeyond the outer surface of said housing to limit axial movement of thespools and to space the spools axially apart when said pins are orientedto extend parallel to one outer surface of said housing, and to besubstantially retracted within said housing when oriented to extendalong a diagonal of said housing.

2. A spindle as specified in claim 1 wherein said pins are of suchdimension axially of said rod as to substantially fill the width of saidslots.

3. A spindle as specified in claim 1 wherein each of said pins is in theform of a hook, thereby to facilitate control of filamentary material tobe wound on the spools.

4. A spindle for releasably holding a plurality of spools in axialalignment and in axially spaced relationship and for facilitatingsimultaneous rotation of the spools for winding of material thereon,said spindle comprising an elongated housing of generally rectangularcross section for receiving the spools thereon, said housing having apassage therein extending longitudinally thereof, a rod arranged withinsaid passage and rotatable with respect to said housing, a plurality ofcircumferentially extending slots in said housing opening to saidpassage and through the outer surface of the housing, said slots beingarranged in radially opposed pairs, and a plurality of pins rigidlysecured to and extending radially from said rod within said slots andarranged in radially opposed pairs, said pins being of such length thatthey extend substantially beyond the outer surface of said housing tolimit axial movement of the spools and to space the spools axially apartwhen said pins are oriented to extend parallel to one outer surface ofsaid housing, and to lie substantially within said housing when orientedto extend along a diagonal of said housing.

5. Apparatus for positioning and for releasably holding a plurality ofspools in axial alignment and in axially spaced relationship and forfacilitating simultaneous rotation of the spools for winding of materialthereon, said apparatus comprising an elongated spindle housing ofgenerally rectangular cross section for receiving the spools thereon,said housing having a passage therein extending longitudinally thereof,a rod arranged within said passage and rotatable with respect to saidhousing, a plurality of .circumferentially extending slots in saidhousing opening into said passage and through the outer surface of thehousing, a plurality of pins rigidly secured to and extending radiallyfrom said rod within said slots, said pins being of such length thatthey extend substantially beyond the outer surface of said housing tolimit axial movement of the spools and to space the spools axially apartwhen said pins are oriented to extend parallel to one outer surface ofsaid housing, and to be substantially retracted within said housing whenoriented to extend along a diagonal of said housing, and a rack having aplurality of parallel slots of such length and so spaced apart as topermit reception of portions of the two heads of a spool in two adjacentones of said slots, thereby to orient and position the spool, each slotbeing of such width as to permit reception of portions of one head ofeach of two spools in axially aligned and axially spaced relation,whereby said spindle housing may readily be inserted into the cores ofspools arranged in said rack with said pins retracted, and said pins mayreadily be extended into the slots in said rack between the spools.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,807,199 Dear May 26, 1931 1,946,455 Davis Feb. 6, 1934 2,265,126Bersche Dec. 9, 1941 2,763,442 Bruestle Sept. 18, 1956 2,895,691 TolerJuly 21, 1959

1. A SPINDLE FOR RELEASABLY HOLDING A PLURALITY OF SPOOLS IN AXIALALIGNMENT AND IN AXIALLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP AND FOR FACILITATINGSIMULTANEOUS ROTATION OF THE SPOOLS FOR WINDING OF MATERIAL THEREON,SAID SPINDLE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HOUSING OF GENERALLY RECTANGULARCROSS SECTION FOR RECEIVING THE SPOOLS THEREON, SAID HOUSING HAVING APASSAGE THEREIN EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF, A ROD ARRANGED WITHINSAID PASSAGE AND ROTATABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID HOUSING, A PLURALITY OFCIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXTENDING SLOTS IN SAID HOUSING OPENING INTO SAIDPASSAGE AND THROUGH THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE HOUSING, AND A PLURALITY OFPINS RIGIDLY SECURED TO AND EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM SAID ROD WITHIN SAIDSLOTS, SAID PINS BEING OF SUCH LENGTH THAT THEY EXTEND SUBSTANTIALLYBEYOND THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID HOUSING TO LIMIT AXIAL MOVEMENT OF THESPOOLS AND TO SPACE THE SPOOLS AXIALLY APART WHEN SAID PINS ARE ORIENTEDTO EXTEND PARALLEL TO ONE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID HOUSING, AND TO BESUBSTANTIALLY RETRACTED WITHIN SAID HOUSING WHEN ORIENTED TO EXTENDALONG A DIAGONAL OF SAID HOUSING.